Sad Billionaires are Sad

In another hard-hitting investiation, POLITICOreports that right-wing billionaires are shocked—shocked!—that people are opposed to their lavish support for politicians who promise to slash services and cut taxes for said billionaires. I mean, who knew that people would have a problem with plutocratic efforts to take the country back to the Gilded Age?:

In their view, cutting a million-dollar check to try to sway the presidential race should be just another way to do their part for democracy, not a fast-track to the front page. And now some are pushing back hard against the attention, asking: Why us?

“This idea of giving public beatings has been around for a long time,” said Frank VanderSloot, a wealthy Idaho businessman who donated $1 million in corporate cash to the super PAC supporting Mitt Romney and says he’s raised between $2 million and $5 million for the Romney campaign.

In addition to bankrolling Romney, Vandersloot also donates money to various anti-gay causes. Turns out people have a problem with bigotry. Who knew!

During my brief involvement with adolescent athletics, I never complained when I got hit or injured. After all, that’s what you sign up for when you play contact sports. Likewise, there’s no place for whining if you’re a billionaire who decides to pur millions of dollars into an election. By massively bankrolling a candidate or cause, you’ve made yourself a public figure. Deal with it.